Psychiatric disorders include any mental disorder or illness that interferes with the way a person behaves, interacts with others, and/or functions in daily life. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, classifies psychiatric disorders. The latest version, the DSM-5 (Fifth Edition), lists the following categories of mental disorders: adjustment disorders; anxiety disorders; delirium, dementia, amnestic, and other cognitive disorders; disorders usually first diagnosed in infancy, childhood or adolescence, such as learning disorders or communication disorders; dissociative disorders; eating disorders; factitious disorders; impulse-control disorders; mental disorders due to a general medical condition; mood disorders; other conditions of clinical importance; personality disorders; schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders; sexual and gender identity disorders; sleep disorders; somatoform disorders; and substance-related disorders. See also, http://www.dsm5.org.
The exact cause of most psychiatric disorders is not known. Mental health experts believe that psychiatric disorders typically result from a combination of genetic or inherited dispositions and a triggering event. Triggering events may include environmental factors, stresses of various kinds, and even physical health problems. Psychiatric disorders are very common in the United States. In fact, one-fifth of the American population suffers from some sort of mental disorder during any given year, according to the American Psychiatric Association.
The current lack of biomarkers and the ineffectiveness and reliability of the diagnosis and rates are important issues for the treatment of psychiatric disorders. For example, around 15% of the population suffers from major depression, while approximately 1% suffers from bipolar disorder. However, differentiating between these two disorders is difficult and results in at least 10-15% of bipolar disorder patients being misdiagnosed as having major depression. The consequences of such misdiagnosis include a delay in being introduced to efficacious treatment with mood stabilizers and a delay in seeking or obtaining counseling specific to bipolar disorder.
Medication is widely used to treat a variety of psychiatric disorders. For example, antidepressants are used for the treatment of clinical depression as well as for anxiety and other disorders. Anxiolytics are used for anxiety disorders and related problems such as insomnia. Mood stabilizers are used primarily in bipolar disorder, mainly targeting mania rather than depression. Antipsychotics are used for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia. Stimulants are commonly used, notably for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, there are concerns regarding the lack of efficacy, long onset of action, and side-effects associated with the use of such medications.
As such, there is a need in the art for improved methods to accurately and reliably diagnose psychiatric disorders, particularly affective disorders such as mood disorders (e.g., major depression). Moreover, despite the existence of an assortment of different medications, there is a need in the art for improved drugs to treat psychiatric disorders, particularly affective disorders such as mood disorders (e.g., major depression) and symptoms thereof. The present invention satisfies these needs and provides related advantages as well.